September 9th, 2017 – Camden, NJ – On Saturday September 9th, 22 Camden residents attended a fruit tree workshop and giveaway hosted by the NJ Tree Foundation. At this event, made possible with a grant from the Campbell Soup Foundation, residents learned how to plant the trees and grow their own fruit organically before leaving with one or more free fruit trees and a care package.

“Our fruit tree giveaway was a great success,” explained NJ Tree Foundation Program Coordinator Meredith Brown. “We provided 68 fruit trees to residents with backyard gardens and residents running community gardens. The fruit trees are creating new food access points for residents and bringing affordable, fresh, organic fruit right to their neighborhoods. Fruit trees are trickier to care for when compared to common garden plants like tomatoes, so the educational workshop component of this event was key,” Brown continued.

The workshop and giveaway were hosted at the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, who kindly provided a meeting room free of charge. After the workshop, the residents received a tour of the Center for Environmental Transformation’s fruit tree orchard on Ferry Avenue in Camden.

Residents were thrilled with their new fruit trees. Many have already been planted throughout the community, including the peach tree at the Center For Family Services PowerCorps headquarters on Morgan Blvd, as shown in the picture provided by PowerCorps. PowerCorps youth, who are Camden residents, picked locations for the fruit trees and planted them together.

Throughout the week, the NJ Tree Foundation will provide an additional 57 fruit trees to community and backyard gardeners in Camden, for a total of 125 new fruit trees throughout the city.

“We look forward to giving out the rest of the trees,” Brown said. “It is very exciting for the residents to be able to grow their own fruit. We know the trees will be well-cared for, and the residents should enjoy a great harvest next year!”

We receive many requests for tree suggestions. What tree will thrive in my city? What kind of tree can I plant under utility wires? Are some trees harder to plant in the fall? So, without further ado, the NJ Tree Foundation’s most requested tree lists!

Attention, Camden residents! The NJ Tree Foundation is offering FREE fruit trees to any interested residents in Camden! We are currently offering peaches, pears, plums, and apples (species may change depending on availability of the plants). In order to receive a tree, fill out an application and return to Meredith no later than August 15th. You can email your application to mbrown@njtreefoundation.org, or mail to PO Box 1221, Camden, NJ 08105. You can also call to submit your application at 856-287-4488. After your application is confirmed, you will need to attend a one-hour workshop on Saturday, September 9th. More information about the workshop will be made available closer to September. Hope to see you there!

This spring, the NJ Tree Foundation planted 714 trees through our various programs. Here’s a quick recap of our programs from the season:

Green StreetsThe Green Streets Program planted 435 trees in eleven towns, and created one demonstration rain garden at City Hall in Jersey City. Over the summer months the Green Streets crew is weeding and mulching 14 rain gardens and green infrastructure projects in Camden, while maintaining our 9/11 Memorial in Liberty State Park. Other summer projects include a second rain garden in Jersey City, a watering contract, and tree pit maintenance in various cities.

Urban Airshed Reforestation Program
Throughout April and May, 138 trees were planted in Camden and Gloucester City through the help of 215 volunteers. 208 square feet of concrete was removed to make way for the new trees!

Spotlight project: The site of the old Riverfront State Prison is now Coopers Poynt Waterfront Park. It is a beautiful site, with a playground, walking trail, and a scenic view of the Delaware river and Philadelphia. On May 4th, 38 volunteers from Campbell’s Soup planted 45 trees to help kick off the event. The trees line the walking trails and along the river, as well as the playground. On Saturday, May 6th, the Jean Kehner Community planting was held. This event will help to finish planting the 89 total trees at the park, as well as celebrate Jean Kehner, a long time community activist in North Camden. 84 volunteers participated in the event. We had an opening ceremony for Jean, where Camden City councilmembers and community leaders spoke and thanked Jean for her service. The NJ Tree Foundation was also honored, with a proclamation from the City of Camden. What a fantastic finish to a great spring planting season!

Renaissance Trees Program141 trees were planted with the Renaissance Trees Program through Newark and Paterson thanks to help from 475 volunteers.

Spotlight Project:On Saturday April 8, 45 volunteers joined forces to plant 15 trees in Paterson’s Westside Park, surrounding the JFK Spirit garden, made possible thanks to a grant from Valley National Bank. Valley National Bank employees, students from JFK High School’s Green Club, and a local Boy Scout Troop planted the trees with the NJ Tree Foundation. The red oak, red maple, redbud, and white pine trees transformed a once open space connecting JFK High School Complex to their Spirit Garden. Jerry Flach from Valley National Bank summarized the day very well. “Valley National Bank sponsored this program today and it’s a real team effort and a community project. We’re thrilled to see everyone come together today to help our community, help green insfrustruce, provide shade, and beautify our schools and parks in Paterson.”

Calling all Camden residents! The NJ Tree Foundation will host its annual TreeKeepers workshop on Saturday, June 17th, at Urban Promise Camden. This workshop will cover the different aspects of tree maintenance and care. This will include both an outdoor and an indoor session. Educational materials and light refreshments are included.

This seminar is closed. Thank you for your interest. We will have another Right Tree Right Place Seminar in south Jersey in the fall.

The New Jersey Tree Foundation and Public Service Electric & Gas are offering a FREE seminar on planting the Right Tree in the Right Place, the Right Way on Friday, July 7th at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in Branch Brook Park, Newark, NJ. Please RSVP by Friday, June 30, 2017 to Lisa Simms LSimms@NJTreeFoundation.org

Topics include:

Emerald Ash Borer – It’s here! The latest news on this bad bug.

Planting the right tree, in the right place, the right way – Green end up.

The importance of utility mark-outs prior to planting – Do you smell gas?

Vegetation management policies to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electric service – Who turned off the lights?

This seminar is worth three (3) Continuing Education Units for towns with a 5-year Community Forestry Management Plan, is approved by the ISA for 3 (three) Arborist certification renewal credits and is worth 3 Public Works CEUs.

ATTENTION Newark residents! On June 10, the NJ Tree Foundation will conduct our TreeKeeper Workshop in Newark, teaching about young tree care. This workshop will include an indoor classroom session and an outdoor hands on component.

This week, we had a new addition to our NJ Tree Foundation family! Meredith Brown is our new Urban Airshed Reforestation Program Coordinator. She will focus on our volunteer-based tree planting events in the Camden/ South Jersey area. Meredith joins us with years of experience in environmental nonprofit work and is incredibly enthusiastic about joining our tree-planting clan.

Come out and meet Meredith by volunteering at our planting this Saturday, May 6th from 9am-12pm at the new Cooper’s Poynt Waterfront Park in Camden!

April 8, 2017 – Camden, NJ – Today, Saturday, April 8th, the NJ Tree Foundation is celebrating the official season opening of the Circuit and we ask you to join us! Did you know the Circuit is one of America’s largest trail networks and it runs through your backyard? There are several trails in Camden connecting to Philadelphia and beyond.

Spring is a great time to walk, jog, or bike #OnTheCircuit and admire blossoming trees. Over the past three years, the NJ Tree Foundation has planted over 100 new trees along the Circuit in Camden through our Trees for Trails project funded by the William Penn Foundation. Trees including Eastern redbuds, ornamental cherries, red maples, Princeton American elms, and zelkovas can be found gracing the trails, ready to be enjoyed by you! Use our “Trees Along the Camden Greenway” booklet as a Camden guide to find trees we planted along the Circuit and special Circuit destinations, like the old growth forest in Farnham Park. Visit the Circuit Trails Map to find existing, in progress, and planned trails throughout Camden and the greater Philadelphia region.

April 7, 2017 – Newark, NJ – The NJ Tree Foundation kicks off its volunteer-led tree planting season today, Friday April 7th, with an event in Newark that will plant 39 trees at the Oliver Street School. Volunteers from the school and community will come together to plant seedless sweetgum, tree lilac, and hedge maple trees to beautify the school.

The NJ Tree Foundation will be joined by Senator Teresa Ruiz, Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor-Marin, Councilman Amador, Joseph Della Fave, Executive Director of the Ironbound Community Corporation, Dr. Douglas Petty, principal of Oliver St. School, Nathaly Agosto Filion of the City of Newark, and Charlie McKenna from the NJ School Development Authority. Program Director Elena López of the NJ Tree Foundation will lead a tree planting demonstration immediately following the speakers.

Elena López, from the NJ Tree Foundation, explains, “Planting trees together with the students, parents, and teachers at Oliver Street School makes the community unite with a sense of pride and ownership through this transformative project.”

After the trees are planted the school will assume responsibility for their care. School volunteers will water the trees weekly throughout the summer, with more students getting involved in the fall and beyond.